


Two Boys Fighting at the End of the World

by Mysana



Series: Harry Potter Short Fics [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Gen, Introspection, Moral Ambiguity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-13
Updated: 2017-06-13
Packaged: 2018-11-13 19:15:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11191626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysana/pseuds/Mysana
Summary: Two boys on two sides of a war. One of them wins.





	Two Boys Fighting at the End of the World

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ronile](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ronile/gifts).



> This work is dedicated to Ronile for their piece 'Socks' 
> 
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/4316799
> 
> which has stuck in my head for far longer than it had any right to.

We all know that Grindelwald had the elder wand before his defeat. We also know that the elder wand is the unbeatable wand. Yet the third fact that we know, is that Dumbledore fought Grindelwald in a duel, and won. These three facts most certainly do not agree with one another. So let me present my alternative view on the events that took place, from Gellert Grindelwald’s perspective.

 

It was a warm day and the country air was pleasant on the skin. Gellert, as always, was wearing traditional wizarding robes, but he had rolled up the sleeves to enjoy the weather. It was an important day, Gellert could feel it in the air. He was a busy man, running a war, and tired too. He had expected to be one of two leading the war front for a better Wizarding Society. Instead he was alone, facing off against the man he should be working with.

 

Gellert was winning the war, but didn’t feel much like the success he’d always dreamed of.

 

He was gaining ground and his enemy was losing men. But. (And Merlin didn’t that sting.) _But._ As the war drew out longer his enemies became more convinced of their own righteousness. Gellert was many things, but stupid was not one of them. The first time an enemy solider, a man with a family and friends, died for the cause - the war became that of a different sort. No longer could Gellert win because even if he wiped out every single one of the fools that wanted continued secrecy, more would grow to take their place. 

 

Not only that, but Gellert’s side. The _right_ side, was made up of criminals and backstabbers. Gellert never wanted to rule, that was more Albus’ thing. Gellert wanted change, but then he wanted to help from the shadows. From the advisor position not from under the crown itself. Except there was no one to take the crown. 

 

No one on Gellert’s side at least.

 

He was thinking over these very facts when his mortal enemy and best friend, Albus Dumbledore arrived. (Because Albus was _still_ his best friend.) Looking weary but determined before they even had the chance to say hello. Gellert saw a chance in that man, because Gellert was _winning_. Things were _changing_. Did it really matter what the history books said as long as Gellert got the change he needed to see? No. Of course not. Did Gellert need to wear the crown, or even be the advisor, if his will could change the land regardless. Don’t be foolish, Gellert never cared for his own life so much as the results that came from it. 

 

Albus would make a very good king.

 

Gellert thought, as he slowly drew his wand. Albus, no more than 20 steps down the road, but always on the other side of an intersection, drew his own. The duel started carefully, testing the limits of the other. Albus had not gotten rusty, neither had Gellert. Both had developed new spells. Albus’ spell blinded the victim. Gellert’s turned the victim’s mind against themselves. Albus’ spell worked on anyone with eyes. Gellert’s worked best on the weak minded. Albus won that round, in Gellert’s mind at least. 

 

The pause between spell casts drew shorter. 

 

Duels, in general, do not take very long. Most commonly there is a very clear winner from the start, and unless the loser is significantly better in another area such as speed or improvisation, the result is very obvious. Duels are also short because it only takes one hit before the victim has lost, this isn’t always the case, some spells are cast as tricks or traps. They’ll look like a dangerous spell but aren’t actually. In times of war these spells are less common, and one hit often means death. 

 

The only time a duel draws on longer than a few minutes is when the two fighters are only testing each other. As it was at the start. Or, the two fighters are so perfectly balanced that neither can get in a hit. As it is now.

 

The sun made it’s way across the sky until it hung behind Albus’ head. Gellert’s wand made quiet suggestions in his head. When to strike, what spell to use. It was hard to ignore, but if Gellert was going to win it was going to be by his own power. 

 

“Haven’t you done enough?” Albus yelled at one point. Gellert ignored him except to say,

 

“Not. Yet.” Now though, in the dance of spell craft and dodging, Gellert found himself in a meditative state. Hadn’t he done enough? He had changed the world. He had, although not revealed the wizarding world, gotten some _very_ nice new legislation in. And really, hadn’t he always cared about the fact that he _had_ changed the world than _how_ he changed it? 

 

It wasn’t quite a conscious decision. Not yet.

 

Albus and Gellert were both tired. They were young men still, but sweat gathered. Hands on wands became slippery. Pronunciation and wand waving looser. Gellert saw a chance, one he would normally take reflexively. Instead he didn’t. Or rather, he sent of a weak, and silent, _Stupefy_. Albus dodged, obviously. Except it happened again, and again. Instead of aiming for Albus’ weaker right side, he aimed in the centre, or even left. Instead of using every dark spell in the book, he only used a few. Gruesome but not enough to break his soul, if indeed, it wasn’t already broken. 

 

The end came quite clearly, to Gellert at least.

 

Albus lunged and Gellert barely, barely dodged it. But there was an opening. And the wand, the wand he had wanted for _so long_ spoke to him. Told him to send an _Avada Kadavra_ to the right side, and Albus would die. Except that was rather the problem wasn’t it. Gellert didn’t want Albus dead. 

 

No green spell came from Gellert’s wand. 

 

Gellert spent the rest of his days in prison, Albus spent his under a crown. Gellert’s not sure Albus got the better end of the deal. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are greatly appreciated - let me know if you liked it (and what you liked about it) or what you disliked!


End file.
